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  • I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj: Abide in “I Am,” Non-Dual Awakening & the Fire of Earnestness
    2026/06/09

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    I Am That (Nisargadatta Maharaj): Abide in “I Am,” Non-Dual Awakening & the Fire of Earnestness


    In this episode, Dr. Downes and Adam Rizvi discuss Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj’s Advaita Vedanta classic I Am That and his non-dual teaching to “abide in the I AM.” They describe Nisargadatta’s background as a Bombay cigarette vendor, his fiery demeanor, and how he realized freedom after three years of single-pointed trust in his guru’s simple instruction, without mantras or scripture. They explore key ideas from the book’s Q&A dialogues: the “inner teacher” as the witness of mind, the shift from identifying as a body moving through time and space to recognizing all experience arises in awareness, and the importance of repeatedly returning to the immovable sense of being. They also unpack “earnestness” as intense longing—orientation, intensity, sincerity, and consistency—and recommend reading short passages nightly.



    00:55 Introducing I Am That

    01:19 Who Was Nisargadatta

    04:02 Why This Book Matters

    05:27 Lineage and Anti Scripture

    08:00 Abide in I Am Practice

    11:51 Effort and Awareness

    14:32 Reading a Key Passage

    18:59 Time Space as Experience

    25:36 Making It Practical

    28:52 Habit of Returning

    30:03 Earnestness and Desire

    31:34 Inner Renunciation

    33:36 Awakening Drive Question

    34:30 Earnestness Explained

    37:19 Fire for Awakening

    41:10 Embers Into Intensity

    43:17 Mystics Across Traditions

    46:13 Sufi Ishq and Fana

    47:55 Quote Off Returns

    48:54 Beyond God Concept

    54:06 Reading Practice Tips

    56:20 Closing and Cigarettes



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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    59 分
  • Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Do You Need a Religion to Wake Up?
    2026/05/26

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    Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Do You Need a Religion to Wake Up?

    Enjoying our podcast? Please help us out and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your thumbs up goes a long way.

    Every spiritual tradition hands you a map. Patanjali's eight limbs. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle. The Four Noble Truths. Lojong mind training. But here's the question nobody asks: What good is the map if you don't know how to drive a car?

    In this episode, Stephan and Adam dig into what spiritual maps are really for, and when staring at one becomes the obstacle itself. They get into why discipline and restraint are the most skipped steps in Western spirituality, what actually happens when the surface mind quiets down (hint: it's not peace), and why the why behind your emotions matters less than you think.

    Topics covered:

    • Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the eight limbs, and yogas chitta vritti nirodha
    • Lojong mind training and transforming difficulty into the path
    • Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle and the non-linear nature of the journey
    • Sengcan's Hsin Hsin Ming, the Zen case for dropping preferences entirely
    • A Course in Miracles on forgiveness as stillness
    • Why Neo-Advaita can leave you stuck

    Questions, topic ideas, or books you want us to read: letterstotheskypodcast@gmail.com


    00:00 Back After Hiatus
    00:21 Lost Episode Story
    01:20 Do We Need A Map?
    02:57 What Counts As A Map?
    05:50 Different Destinations
    09:09 Map Versus Road
    11:04 Spiritual Stages And Ego
    14:13 Inner Roads Of Practice
    16:09 Ethics As Foundation
    26:54 Meditation Clicks Over Time
    30:48 Quiet Mind Brings Pain
    34:21 Therapy Versus Inquiry
    35:41 Why Knowing Why Fails
    36:51 Karma Reincarnation Context
    39:17 View Path Fruit Framework
    42:40 Mind Training Maps
    45:15 Shoes Frustration Practice
    48:54 Feel Fully Drop Resistance
    53:22 Forgiveness No Preferences
    01:00:34 Signs of Progress
    01:04:17 Map Question Wrap Up

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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    1 時間 10 分
  • Awakening Without Bypassing: Integration, Emotions, and the Ground of Safety
    2026/02/16

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    In this episode of Letters to the Sky, Stephan and Adam speak with Dave Biggs, a UK-based nondual teacher whose path grew out of a highly controlled religious upbringing, childhood trauma, and years of anxiety, panic disorder, addiction, and a bipolar diagnosis. Drawing on his experience supporting others in distress through the NHS and Samaritans, Dave explores why awakening can become a subtle escape when intense suffering makes the idea of “no self” feel like a final hope—and how that denial eventually crashes.


    Together, they unpack the overlooked work of post-awakening integration: the way emotions can become more raw and intense when resistance falls away, why kindness and gentleness still matter, and how labeling and story-making can trap sensations instead of letting them move through. Dave describes an “absolute” ground of unconditioned awareness as a stabilizing landing pad—like a starter before the main course—that makes it possible to face trauma without bypassing the human experience. The conversation closes with Dave sharing brief details of his childhood split between Jehovah’s Witness fear and his father’s atheism, his long search to disprove a malicious God, and the eventual recognition of an unconditionally loving presence, along with ways to connect with him at dualitydetox.com.


    00:00 Welcome

    01:00 How They Met Dave: Voice Memos, Nonduality Groups & Shared Language

    02:07 Dave’s Background: Trauma, Mental Health, and Teaching Without Bypassing

    05:53 The Trap of ‘No One Here’: Spiritual Bypassing, Denial, and the Crash

    11:54 Real Self-Realization: Ordinary, Subtle, and Noticed by the Absence of Suffering

    13:46 Integration Mechanics: Momentum After Awakening & the ‘Last 5%’ of Work

    16:41 Emotions After Awakening: Anger, Grief, Tears, and Feeling It Fully

    19:24 Letting Emotions Move: Disney Tears, Accessibility, and Dropping the Labels

    22:58 The ‘Child Catcher’ Metaphor: Stop Netting Feelings and Naming Them

    27:02 Mind’s Story-Making vs Witnessing: Grasping, Aversion, and Waves Passing Through

    30:18 Groundlessness & Ultimate Truth: Returning to What We Are

    32:00 The “Landing Pad”: Unconditioned Awareness as the Base

    34:08 Starter vs Main Course: Letting Experience Move Through You

    37:02 Macbeth, Despair, and Finding the Ground Beneath the “Sound and Fury”

    40:32 Post-Awakening Reality Check: Emotions Don’t Disappear

    41:49 Why the Ground Makes Healing Possible (and the Hand Analogy Explained)

    44:14 Healing Is Reachable: Safety, Integration, and Trauma Unraveling

    46:23 When Pain Becomes Identity: The MS Patient Story

    49:30 Dave’s Lived-Experience Work & Dropping the Trauma “Performance”

    54:40 Dave’s Childhood & Awakening Turning Point (High-Level Story)

    59:27 Wrap-Up: Keep Doing the Work + Where to Find Dave



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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    1 時間 3 分
  • Pema Chodron's Comfortable With Uncertainty
    2026/01/08

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    Embracing Discomfort: The Practice of Tonglen and Pema Chödrön's Teachings

    In this episode of Letters to the Sky, Stephan and Adam delve into the transformative teachings of Pema Chödrön's book, 'Comfortable with Uncertainty.' They explore the profound practice of Tonglen and how it serves as a tool for spiritual awakening and a deepening connection to all beings. With heartfelt reflections and guided meditations, they discuss the existential discomfort inherent in being human and the importance of equanimity in facing life's challenges. Join them for a meaningful conversation that touches on the core of waking up and embracing the full spectrum of human experience.

    Correction: Ani Pema is American-born.

    00:47 Discussing Pema Chödrön's Comfortable with Uncertainty

    02:41 Exploring Lojong and Mind Training

    08:45 Understanding Tonglen Practice

    19:04 The Path of the Bodhisattva

    29:32 Understanding Resistance and Ego

    29:51 Meditation and Letting Go

    30:58 Weather as a Metaphor for Life

    32:24 The Illusion of Perfection

    33:59 Exploring the Six Realms of Being

    37:14 Heaven and Hell: A Zen Perspective

    41:27 Practicing Tonglen Meditation

    50:15 Personal Reflections on Tonglen

    55:07 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    57 分
  • Love Does Not Know Death by Adam Rizvi
    2025/12/01

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    In this special episode, Adam takes the spotlight as Stephan interviews him about his newly published book, 'Love Does Not Know Death.'


    The conversation delves deep into Adam's unique perspective as a neurocritical care doctor who has seen countless patients at the end of their lives. They discuss the inspiration behind the book, touching on themes of spiritual transformation, the physical and emotional aspects of dying, and the profound insights that have come not only to Adam in his practice, but to the patients themselves as they reach the end of their lives.


    Stephan and Adam also explore the challenging yet rewarding process of writing the book, offering a glimpse into Adam's own spiritual journey and how he uses storytelling to convey powerful truths. An enlightening discussion for anyone intrigued by the intersections of medicine, spirituality, and the human experience of death.


    Here's a link to purchase your own copy of Adam's book: https://a.co/d/5FZ6r7e


    00:00 Introduction and Greetings

    00:49 Adam's New Book: Love Does Not Know Death

    04:30 The Journey of Writing a Book

    05:24 A Memorable Patient Story

    09:44 Lessons from Death and Forgiveness

    14:02 Challenges in Healthcare and Healing

    19:10 The Deeper Meaning of Healing

    23:10 Facing Mortality and Embracing Life

    31:09 Embracing the Messiness of Terminal Diagnoses

    33:03 Healthy Responses to Death

    34:35 Guilt and Burden in Facing Death

    37:40 The Power of Self-Love in Facing Death

    38:45 The Transformative Process of Writing

    45:24 Insights on Writing and Creativity

    53:55 Conclusion



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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    56 分
  • Where Does Spiritual Authority Come From?
    2025/11/11

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    In this episode, Stephan and Adam crack open one of the trickiest questions on the spiritual path: Who gets to claim authority — and why do we keep giving it away?

    From childhood conditioning to teacher-student dynamics, we explore how spiritual authority forms, how it collapses, and how it can finally return to its rightful place: your own direct knowing. With warmth, humor, and a few gentle provocations, we look at the subtle ways we outsource our inner clarity and how to recognize the voice that was always yours.

    A grounded, liberating conversation for anyone walking the line between devotion, discernment, and awakening.

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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    56 分
  • Embody Enlightenment Now with Adyashanti's The End of Your World
    2025/09/15

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    Exploring Adyashanti's 'The End of Your World'

    Stephan and Adam dive into Adyashanti's 'The End of Your World' and share their honest thoughts and personal experiences about the long process of embodying enlightenment after moments of realization. From the pitfalls of spiritual awakening to the simple beauty of being present, they cover it all with warmth, humor, and a sprinkle of cheekiness. Tune in to find out what it's like when spiritual journeys go off script and how honesty can be the game-changer you didn't know you needed. Grab your favorite drink, sit back, and enjoy this adventure through the world of spirituality with a side of laughs.

    00:00 Reconnecting
    00:54 Discussing 'The End of Your World' by Adyashanti
    03:10 Dissolution and Reality
    05:08 Challenges and Realizations in Awakening
    09:37 Waking Up is Like a Rocket
    11:14 Personal Awakening Experiences
    16:57 The Importance of Honesty
    26:38 Traps and Pitfalls on the Spiritual Path
    31:58 The Ego's Voice: Convincing You That Now is Not Okay
    32:43 The Simplicity of 'I Am': Insights from Adyashanti
    33:31 Questioning Reincarnation: A Personal Reflection
    35:23 The Trap of Concepts: How They Shape Our Lives
    36:40 Understanding Adyashanti: Background and Teachings
    40:42 Awakening in the Present Moment
    43:06 The Impact of Future Obsession on the Present
    46:36 Practical Advice for Overcoming Future Obsession
    54:45 Final Thoughts and Reflections

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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    56 分
  • The Work that Reconnects - A Tribute to Joanna Macy
    2025/08/25

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    Honoring Joanna Macy: Love, Grief, and the Dance of Life

    Welcome back, folks! Join Stephan and Adam as they dive into a heartwarming tribute to the incomparable Joanna Macy. They chat about her life, her profound contributions to spiritual ecology, and her legacy of promoting interconnectedness and compassion. Explore grief, love, and how we can be Shambala warriors, embracing powerful, love-driven action in today's world. Shoutout to Dayton for the episode inspiration!

    If you have an episode recommendation on a book or topic related to awakening and spirituality, and to sign up for our email list, email us directly at:

    letterstotheskypodcast [ at] gmail.com



    00:00 Introduction and Welcome
    00:54 Tribute to Joanna Macy
    01:26 Joanna Macy's Life and Work
    03:04 Emotional Connection and Grief
    04:16 Spiritual Ecology and Interconnectedness
    14:41 The Shambala Prophecy
    22:52 Taking Action from Love
    29:09 Misconceptions About Awakening
    30:16 The True Meaning of Awakening
    31:24 Mind-Made Weapons and Their Undoing
    33:35 The Power of Love Over Hate
    35:36 Feeling Without Pathologizing
    47:47 Joanna Macy's Reverence for Life
    51:49 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

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    Copyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky

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    54 分